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A ridiculously simple Shoji-like window for apartments without curtains

Posted on:15 December 2015

By:Don

Most people face an essential privacy problem after moving into a new apartment: the old curtains don't fit for the new windows. Even if you order new ones, you have to wait a few days. The Japanese architecture combined with a simple design hack can save your privacy and provide a nice milky light for your room.

A shōji is a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper over a frame of wood. Let's simplify this: You don't have the time/money/skills to build a customized frame of wood; you want more light than a regular shoji window can provide; you don't like having too much stuff (maybe because you know that you will move out of the apartment sooner or later). That's why you should want to keep it as simple as possible (call it the minimalist ASAP, if you like).

The solution is simple: shoji uses the translucency of paper — use it also for the frame. Make the wooden frame completely translucent. In other words: don't use a physical frame but shape a frame with the paper so that you get paper tile joints.

You'll just need: paper (regular or with a lower opacity) and transparent tape. Usually, you have both in stock — if not, these are penny goods. Put some tape at the corners on the back of the paper tiles and stick them on your window. Use a pencil or a ruler to measure the joints between the paper tiles. That's it!